For an entire generation of young black women, the inspiring chant of the 1960s -- "Black is beautiful" -- went straight to their heads.

Dana Rieber | The Saginaw NewsWafts of smoke come off of the hair of Nicole B. Jackson, 12, as a hot iron comb is used to straighten her hair. Jackson received a press and curl at Faithfully Yours Styling Salon in Saginaw.

They adopted kinky, natural styles known as Afros, some wild and sometimes unruly, others short and curly or close-cropped and neatly coifed, typically characterized as the style of militants and angry troublemakers marching with fists balled in protest.

"For black women in particular, hair is a big thing. It has a lot to do with living in a society where straight hair is the expectation," said Robert Newby, a retired Central Michigan University sociology professor.

"Black women don't have naturally straight hair. Beauty in America is very much attached to skin color and straight hair. The standard of beauty that prevails is a white standard," said Newby of Mount Pleasant, who was an instructor at CMU for 19 years until he retired in 2007.

Newby said black women are carving their place in terms of how they style their hair.
"The white standard of beauty promotes thin lips, sharp noses and facial symmetry.
Consequently in America, there is a rightness of whiteness. In the past African American features were stigmatized, degraded and exaggerated," said Newby.

The retired sociology professor said in the mid- to late 60's, the "black is beautiful" mindset redefined the standard of beauty for black women.

"Historically nappy hair was stigmatized. Blacks were stigmatized and our features were stigmatized. Since the black power movement, black women wear their hair however they want -- bald, straight, or natural. Hair is hair. It is a part of women's identity.
Newby predicts in the future a wide assortment of black hairstyles will become acceptable.

These hairdos are much more acceptable and legitimate today than they were 30 or 40 years ago, thanks to the black power movement, Newby said.

The new styles were outward signs that blacks could take their rightful place in American society. They prompted wave after wave of new business owners and a sense of cultural pride.

Hairstyles proudly worn by today's black women run the gamut from simple to fabulously imaginative. Whether braided, dyed or finger-waved to the side, it's all about function and check-me-out style.

Now that anything goes, doctors and some beauticians are promoting a more natural style because of the health concerns related to the chemicals and glues required for certain styles. Many black women are embracing a return to their roots.

"Before the Afro, not pressing and curling your hair just wasn't an option for most black women," said 80-year-old Sarah Berkley of Saginaw. "Back in those days, it was thought that our hair wasn't as beautiful as white people's hair. So we got out the hot comb and pressed our hair."

The stigma of kinky hair as less beautiful than straight locks traces to plantations where enslaved people with straighter hair often reaped the advantage less rigorous work inside the main residence instead of the fields, according to historical accounts.

As a result, blacks traditionally desired less kinky hair as part of a need to assimilate into the world of whites.

Today, just as many black women prefer straightened styles achieved by pressing and curling or perming their hair with chemical treatments to make it more manageable. A big trend in recent years -- for both black and white women -- is shoulder-length hair achieved with the addition of hair weaves or extensions. Wefts of hair are glued or sewn into existing hair.

"In some ways, hair is a status symbol for women," said Berkley, a retired day care center director. "In the '50s, this woman told me there would come a day when white people would press their hair, too. We didn't believe her, but it has come true."

A business of their own

As schoolchildren celebrate Black History Month, some of them will learn about Madame C.J. Walker, one of the first black millionaires. She earned her fortune styling black women's hair and creating haircare products especially for them. In 1910, Walker moved her hair product manufacturing operations to a new industrial complex in Indianapolis. By 1917, it was the largest business in the United States owned by a black person.

Today, many black women follow in Walker's footsteps, operating beauty salons to support their families as small business owners.

Mid-Michigan salon owners estimate there are 25 to 30 independently run salons in Saginaw County catering to black women. U.S. Census figures from 2002 show beauty salons outnumbering barbershops 8 to 1. That year, the most recent figures available, there were 73,953 hair salons throughout the country with a $6.8 billion annual payroll.

Those same records report 63 beauty salons in Saginaw County among the 2,613 shops found throughout the state.

Charlene Washington, 52, of Saginaw has styled hair for more than 31 years. After working in salons at J.C. Penney and Jacobson's department stores, she opened her business, The Master's Touch Salon, 1401 E. Genesee, on Saginaw's East Side in 1988.

"I've earned a good living doing hair. I was able to help support my family," she said.

"Hair is top priority to black women," said Simone Wright, 37, of Saginaw Township. She owns Faithfully Yours, 2723 State in Saginaw. "If a customer comes to the shop every week, they may end up spending around $160 or more a month."

"With black hair, you can be creative. There are so many things you can do to bring out beauty. It's very versatile," said Wright, who has styled hair for 17 years. Her salon services around 60 customers a week.

"I do more relaxed styles than weaves. I promote healthy hair. Weaves are OK, short-term. Sewing in weaves is better than using glue."

"Earning a living is more difficult because of the economy," said 58-year-old Louise McKinnie, owner of Reflections of U Too Hair Salon, 2103 Sheridan, Saginaw.

"When the auto industry was flourishing and people were working, they would come in once week. Now some of our customers are only coming in once a month."

David A. Sommers | The Saginaw NewsLouise McKinnie, 58, of Saginaw shows off her hairstyle. She is the owner of Reflections of "U" Too on Sheridan in Saginaw.

Washington agreed that Michigan's down economy has resulted in a spending downturn, but she said that won't stop women from getting their hair done.

"Women always find a way," she said. "Even it means doing it cheaper, they find a way."

Depending on the length of a client's hair, McKinnie said she could charge $35 to $40 for a blow dry and curl of permed hair. Longer hair costs more, as does the addition of color or a haircut and other services.

"Quite a few women have gone back to natural hair," she said. "Times have changed, and people just don't have the time to sit under a dryer. Others are menopausal and have hot flashes. As a result, they don't get the value out of a press and curl style that won't hold up," explained McKinnie.

"I have people who have moved on to stay with the fashion trends by getting weaves," she said.

"For some women, weaves are a lifestyle, but I don't promote weaves. They put too much stress on the hair. I'm all about promoting and maintaining healthy hair trends."

The extended life

Extensions are a hot hair fashion trend. Temporary extensions take only minutes to attach, while permanent pieces take longer and may stay put for as long as six months.

"If a person needs a weave due to some type of permanent hair loss, that's one thing, but someone who has their own hair shouldn't add weave to their heads," Washington said.

"I'm missing a lot of money by not doing weaves. I made a personal commitment to cut, grow and protect my clients' hair. I want to have that satisfaction."

"Weaves are taking over because of women want long hair, and they want a certain look," Wright said.

Dorothy Orange, a stylist at Faithfully Yours, said that some black women are looking to attain a certain look based on societal standards.

"Some black women want the long, flowing hair. It's more of a hype, a fad. They aren't really concerned about hair that is healthy. Most black women don't have hair that long. Our hair will only grow so long," she said.

Washington said weaves, whether of artificial or human hair, may cause the loss of hair over time because of damage from the gluing or sewing process that attaches the weave to the head. Before the weave or extension hair is are attached, a customer's natural hair is braided. Overtime, she explained, the extremely tight braiding could damage hair follicles, resulting in areas where new hair will no longer grow.

Most black women who have sat through a chemical relaxer can attest to the sting and tingle of the product that sometimes burns the scalp. Over time, hair damage because of overprocessing with harsh products or overuse of heating tools may result in damage of both the hair and scalp. Hair loss and breakage forces many women to rethink how they style and care for their hair.

Dr. Danita Peoples, a Midland dermatologist and owner of Mid-Michigan Dermatology in Midland, said more than half of her black female patients come to her with hair and scalp problems. Peoples said a smaller percentage of her white female patients come to with hair loss concerns.

"I have both black and white female patients with hair loss, but white women are much less likely to have hair loss due to over use of heat and overprocessing with chemicals," the doctor said. "They're more likely to experience hair loss as part of an underlying medical condition, aging and hormonal changes.

"Hair loss is a greater concern for black women simply because society dictates that they should straighten their hair to look more European. Traditionally that look is expected if you want to fit in with the dominant society.

"There is more social pressure on black women to get a certain look. As a result the number with hair loss is greater. If we were happy with our natural hair curl pattern, this type of damage wouldn't occur as much."

In private practice since 1984, Peoples said most of those patients were treated under the broader heading hair loss because of overprocessing, separate from breakage vs. inflammation or damage to hair follicles.

"Hair breakage is more often related to chemical relaxers, especially if the person is using the no lye relaxer. Those tend to cause the hair to be more brittle and result in more breakage," she said.

No-lye

Peoples said no-lye products substitute calcium for the sodium found in lye products. It's all part of the marketing, insinuating that if the product doesn't include lye it is less damaging, she explained.

"That's not what I have found in my personal experience. No-lye relaxers actually made the hair more brittle."

She added: "The less you do to your hair, the better."

Peoples recommends natural styles to minimize hair and scalp damage. She also suggests using moderate heat to press and curl hair.

"If you decide to give up chemical relaxers, that tends to cause some breakage initially.

Luckily, most professions are more tolerant of black Afrocentric hairdos. If you do have a job that it would be detrimental to wear an Afrocentric hairstyle, I suggest getting a convincing-looking wig and make it part of the wardrobe.

"If you're trying to correct a hair and scalp problems, it's a good way to give your own hair a break."